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In this example, when you run your application locally, it will use http://localhost:8000 as the API URL, overriding the default value provided in .env . This way, you can work against a local API without altering the committed configuration. .env.local
: When multiple environment files exist, .env.local usually takes precedence over .env and .env.development during local runs. Essential Blog Posts and Guides Here is the most important sentence in this
The .env.local file is a plain text configuration file used in modern web development frameworks like Next.js and Vite to define environment variables for local development. It is specifically designed to store machine-specific overrides and sensitive keys that should never be committed to version control. Key Purpose and Behavior when you run your application locally